Gourmet coffee shops typically sell individual cups of coffee for consumption on or off the premises. Typically, these shops are very small and utilize high-quality coffee beans and coffee-making equipment to provide consumers with a higher quality cup of coffee than would be available in other establishments. In this regard, many gourmet coffee shops have developed internal procedures particularly adapted to ensure a uniformly high-quality cup of coffee. Particularly at peak periods, these shops must dispense coffee to a relatively large group of consumers in a short amount of time. Typically, the worker holds the coffee cup below the spout and utilizes the other hand to actuate the spout until the worker sees that the coffee cup is nearly full.
Consumers accustomed to the high-quality of coffee available from such gourmet coffee shops have come to desire this high level of quality at other locations, such as offices or meeting places. Gourmet coffee shops have met this need by providing thermos canisters which are loaned out and then returned by the consumer. These canisters are often elongate, cylindrical thermoses having a pump button in the top, which dispenses coffee from a nozzle. Unfortunately, the inconvenience of returning the canister and the typical requirement that a deposit be left deters consumers from purchasing larger quantities of coffee. These canisters also have several drawbacks for the coffee shop. Specifically, they are relatively large and difficult to store, are breakable and require careful cleaning after each use.
Moreover, the coffee buyer is often serving the diverse needs of multiple consumers. For example, several members of a party may prefer decaffeinated coffee, while others prefer regular coffee. Some coffee drinkers may prefer dark roast coffee while others prefer milder blends. Where the buyer is providing multiple types of coffee or other liquid refreshments, the buyer must transport several canisters, which must each be returned and cleaned.
There is accordingly a need for a liquid container particularly adapted to store and insulate multiple cups of one or more fluids. Such a container should ideally be inexpensive enough to market as a disposable container, storable in compact form, and insulated for safe handling of hot fluids such as coffee.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a liquid container is provided with an outer shell having a top, a bottom and sidewalls extending between the top and bottom. The shell has a first opening in one of the sidewalls and a second opening in another of the sidewalls. The container further includes two flexible bags housed within the shell, each of which define an aperture. A mouth is secured to each flexible bag, surrounding the corresponding aperture and defining a fluid passageway. Each mouth, in turn, is configured to be secured within one of the first and second openings in the outer shell. Additionally, a handle extends outwardly from the outer shell.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a foldable liquid container is disclosed. The container includes an outer shell, which comprises two pairs of sidewalls, each pair aligned generally in parallel. One of the pairs of sidewalls includes a first opening in one sidewall and a second opening in the other, parallel sidewall. A flexible bag within the outer shell defines an aperture, with a mouth secured to the bag surrounding the aperture. The mouth thus defines a fluid passageway. A plurality of upper end flaps and lower end flaps are secured to the first pair of sidewalls and the second pair of sidewalls.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a liquid container is provided with an outer shell defining a first opening and a second opening. A first flexible bag is attached to and housed within the outer shell, and includes a tubular member which extends through the first opening. A second flexible bag is also attached to and housed within the outer shell, and includes a second tubular member which extends through the second opening. A stiff divider is provided within the outer shell, separating the first bag from the second bag.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a collapsible container is provided for storing and dispensing two separate materials. The container comprises a front wall and an opposing back wall, where the front wall defines a first opening and the back wall defines a second opening. A pair of opposing side walls extend between the front wall and the back wall. A plurality of top flaps extend from the front, back and sidewalls, and fold to form a container top. Similarly, a plurality of bottom flaps extend from the front, back and side walls, and fold to form a container bottom. A divider extends from the front wall below the first opening to the back wall above the second opening, thereby defining a first compartment and a second compartment within an interior defined by the front, back and side walls.